


My Knight

by JustABug



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Konohagakure | Hidden Leaf Village, M/M, Sunagakure | Hidden Sand Village, not ninjas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-02 20:34:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24262909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustABug/pseuds/JustABug
Summary: There's nothing like a simple trip from your lovely palace to the poorer outskirts of your city which leads to one thing which then leads to another which leads to yet another and hey, when did romance come into the mix?Neji hadn't planned for this. He hadn't planned for any of this. Looking back on it, he hadn't planned anything when he abruptly left the palace to see the outer villages of the kingdom. He's lucky a knight in shining armor came to his rescue, even if he was dressed in ragged, dirty clothes instead of polished armor.
Relationships: Gaara/Rock Lee, Hyuuga Neji/Kankurou, Nara Shikamaru/Temari
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! I absolutely love Kankuro and Neji together because I think the dynamic that would exist between the two is golden. I've had this plot idea for a long time and when I decided to throw NejiKank into the mix as the main romantic plotline lots of things changed from my original idea. The way it has been molded and shaped is spectacular and I hope you all love it as much as I do!

It was sunny, for once, and there was not a cloud in the sky. The wind blew through the fields, lightly caressing everything it passed. The rustling of tall grass could be heard in the otherwise silent day. That was until a loud shouting was heard. The rustling of the grass grew louder and fiercer. The shouting did as well. A person burst out of the tall grass, completely covered in raggedy dark clothes, despite the warm weather. In their hands were a bunch of crops, all freshly picked. A large man burst through after them, shouting loud profanities at the running figure, clearly out of breath. The cloth covered figure did not stop, nor pay any mind to the bumbling man behind them. They made straight for the river. In one swift leap, they were kneeling on the other side. Quickly standing up, they turned to face the breathless man who stood on the other side of the river. It was quite wide and fairly deep, so there was no way the farmer would wade through it, especially because it marked the end of his property. The concealed person made eye contact with the man, their eyes being the only visible part of their body. The farmer glared back in between heaves, trying to regain his lost breath. The figure turned back around, and, with a slap on their butt as a taunt, ran once again. 

The farmer cursed out the retreating figure, angry about his crops being stolen yet again. The individual ignored the farmer, smirking under the cloth that covered their mouth. They weaved in and out of the citizens going about their day. They were yelled at even more, as too many people were upset at almost being ran into. The wove in and out of the booths of the small marketplace, handing off one of the stolen squashes to an old lady they passed. After twisting and turning down a number of confusing roads between houses, the covered person slowed down. They stopped. The house in front of them was small and dingy, just like the rest of the houses in this small village. They walked to the door but did not open it. They knocked. It wasn’t your average knock, and was closer to that of a code, a series of oddly timed knocks. After finishing the knocking ritual, the figure entered, shutting the door securely behind them.

The first thing they discarded was the cloth resting over the bottom of their face. They pulled it down so it rested on their neck before taking their hood off of their head. Doing so revealed a head filled with short and messy brown hair. Their face was shaped and defined in a way that communicated this was a young man. Had it not been for the dirt and dust that covered his face and the mud crusted in his hair, he might have been considered quite the looker. He kicked off his shoes by the door and padded to the kitchen, which was no more than a temperamental wooden stove and a beaten up table with three chairs that were equally as beaten up. Two of the chairs were already occupied. He dropped the stolen crops on the table and sat in the empty chair, immediately sinking into it and sighing in relief. Another successful day.

“You did it again? I thought we said not to!” One of the figures in the chair spoke.

“I know.” The young man closed his eyes, the dark charcoal irises no longer visible.

“You brat! I should beat your ass for not listening!” The figure, who had more curves than the other two in the chair huffed, arms crossed.

He shrugged, not paying much attention to the girl sitting across from him. The other figure, the one who continued to remain silent, sighed. He was the shortest of the three, but when he spoke, it seemed as though he controlled the room.

“Kankuro.” The tiny figure’s voice seemed relaxed compared to the loudness of the other two.

The brown haired man, Kankuro, froze, not daring to move or speak. The girl froze as well, even if she was not the subject of the smaller man’s inquiry.

“Why do you keep stealing from that farmer?” The small man’s arms were crossed as he stared at the man in question.

“Why are you both ganging up on me? We need to eat something. Would you rather I not steal food and we starve?”

“We can get by without it,” The girl leaned forward in her chair, closer to Kankuro, her eyes fierce. “We’ve gotten through with less than what we have right now.”

The small man nodded. It was unclear if his height difference was due to age or something else. Out of the three, he had the most child-like face, but even then, he looked older than a teenager.

“Temari is right Kankuro,” the smallest still leaned back in his chair, not following Temari’s example. “The stealing could get us in trouble anyways.”

Kankuro groaned and avoided making eye contact with either of the two people sitting across from him.

“I don’t just steal from him, alright?”

“And how does that make this any better?” Temari glared at the man across from her, as if she was judging every word that came out of Kankuro’s mouth, and his existence itself.

“Because I’m less trackable that way. And I’m only stealing from each farmer every once in a while and in different clothes at that.” Kankuro tried to defend himself.

“What do you mean in different clothes? You barely have more than what you’re wearing right now.”

“Well sometimes I wear some of your clothes.”

“You little!” Temari stood up abruptly, yelling as she did so. Her chair scraped the floor as it was pushed back.

Kankuro stood up, sending his chair flying as well. “And how else do you propose we get food, huh?”

“Not by stealing!”

“We don’t have enough money to purchase everything we need for all three of us Temari!”

“Well we won’t have any of our heads if you get caught stealing!”

“It’s good I won’t be caught then!”

“How can you be so sure? I think all of your brains left your head to fill in those biceps of yours.”

“That’s not true! I’m very smart!”

“Is that so, Mr. I had to be reminded to put my pants on until I was 20?”

“That was one time Temari!”

The youngest had been sitting there quietly, his arms crossed and eyes closed. He did not move.

“Enough!” 

The two arguing immediately closed their mouths and turned to look at the man still sitting.

“Can’t you two act like civilized people for once? We’re supposed to be siblings, not crazy, untamed monkeys.”

“Sorry, Gaara,” They both said in unison.

They sat down, not another word leaving their mouths. Gaara sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He looked at Kankuro, then Temari, and then back at Kankuro.

“You’re right Kankuro, we do need the food.” Kankuro sat up a bit straighter as Temari slumped in her seat. “But Temari is also right.” Now Kankuro slouched and Temari sat up straighter.

“I know,” Kankuro sighed.

“We need the food, but you’ll have to be more careful about it in the future. You cannot get caught.”

He sighed again, “I know, Gaara.”

“Good. That means you’ll understand you can’t steal as much. We’ll have to limit the amount of times you steal.”

Kankuro nods and soon silence falls over the siblings again. They sat in silence a little longer before setting some ground rules for stealing and then going about their daily duties. Their house was neither big nor fancy, but it was all they could afford, and even then, they often struggled to pay the tax collectors. Life in a village on the outskirts of the great Konoha Kingdom was rough and these three siblings were painfully aware of that.


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A hot day, hot crops, and a mysterious hot man. I mean seriously, how is he surviving in this heat with all those layers?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story won't have many chapters, but each is pretty long. The chapters will get longer as we get to the main plot of the story. If you are confused or have many questions about what you read, don't worry, that's exactly the point! You will mostly be reading from Neji's perspective so you will only really know what he knows.
> 
> This is the first official chapter of this story, I hope you all enjoy it!

He slid off his horse. It was an incredibly hot day. The sun rays beamed down and threatened to burn every exposed part of his body. He had been riding for so long his canteen ran out of water a day ago. His horse looked just as overwhelmed as he did. He threw the reins over the top of the horse’s head, holding onto them so he could walk next to it. It may not have been much, but the absence of heat and weight from his rider would help the horse continue moving.

He wasn’t quite sure where he was, but based on the map he had looked at earlier, he believed he was close to a town. He and his horse continued walking, no set destination in mind. Minutes passed. He wasn’t sure how long he’d been walking, but it sure seemed like forever with the blazing sun making his movements sluggish. Luckily, he spotted a river just ahead. His eyes widened slightly, a sign of excitement. His steps quicked and he practically dragged his horse to the river. It was a few feet long and a few feet deep. The water itself looked fairly clean. His horse immediately put its head down and started drinking the water. 

He knelt down and scooped some of the cold water into his hands. His lavender eyes were reflected in the slowly dissipating liquid. He did not care for the cleanliness of the water as he normally would, because he was parched from the long and sweltering ride. He drank from his hands. He scooped up some more water. He drank. He repeated this a few times before his mouth no longer felt as dry as a desert. Standing up, he stretched and took in his surroundings. Across the river was a field. At first glance, it was just overgrown grass. When he looked a little longer, he was able to see that there were crops far away. He had always had good eyesight.

He dropped the reins of his horse and told it to stay where it was. It was a good horse, and well trained. Looking down into the river, he realized he couldn’t wade through the water unless he wished to get half of his body soaked. In this weather, that didn’t sound half bad. The thought of his shoes squelching from the water inside was the only thing that kept him from doing so. He took a few steps back and jumped over the river, just making it to the other side. He was lucky he was athletic and had gone through all sorts of training.

He turned back to check on his horse. It now grazed at the lush grass growing at the edge of the river. With one last command to stay, he left his companion and headed for the distant crop fields, one hand holding onto his wrist behind his back as if he was taking a leisurely stroll.

They weren’t as far away as he thought, for he was standing at the edge a minute or two later. He stepped inside the crops and looked them up and down. Everything seemed healthy and in good condition. There also seemed to be no shortage of supplies. His first examination of living conditions in the outer villages was going well. He continued to walk into the field, looking at the rest of the crops, taking inventory.

He thought he heard a rhythmic thudding nearby but didn’t think about it too hard. The thudding continued to get louder and faster. His brows furrowed. What was making that noise? He turned his attention to the corner of the row he was in, believing the sound to be coming from there. He took one step forward before spotting a large black figure sprinting around said corner, a variety of crops in hand. His eyes widened slightly at the appearance of the figure adn at the fact he may be run over. He stood completely still, unable to process what was happening. Luckily, the black mass ran past him, not over him. His eyes followed. The person came to an abrupt halt and turned around. It came closer to him. His eyes followed. 

“Come on,” The voice was deep, signaling that it was a man behind all of those layers of black clothing.

Without another word, the disguised man grabbed his wrist and started pulling him along. He had only gotten a quick glimpse at the man’s eyes. Dark. The man was running, still holding onto his wrist, although not as fast as before. He would stop occasionally to pile a few more crops into his arms. He then stood up and kept going, never letting go of the wrist he held onto. The lavender eyed man really didn’t know how to process this. Should he stop the completely covered man? He would be helping out the farmer. But, he travelled to the outer villages to learn of their lifestyles and living conditions. Following and not questioning this man could help him get insight on their lives. So, he stayed silent and let himself be pulled along.

The man continued holding his wrist as he dragged him through the crops. They soon left the farm fields and now ran through the tall grass. The river from earlier was now in sight. He glanced at the river and then at the man holding his wrist. Back at the river. Back at the man. Back at the river. They were less than fifteen feet to the river and the man showed no signs of stopping, despite his fast pace and filled arms. Less than ten feet. Seven feet. Five feet. Three feet. Two feet. He planted his feet in the ground and pulled back. He wondered if the man even knew the river was there. He didn’t want to go tumbling into the river. The disguised man had not been expecting the sudden stop. He was pulled back at the edge of the river, his foot slipping on the edge of the bank just before he was unable to jump. His butt went crashing into the grass and the crops he had been struggling to hold flew onto the grass beside him. 

“Shit!”

He was almost tugged down by the cursing, clothed figure, but he managed to keep his balance. His brain finally seemed to be processing the strange events up until now. He was not going to let himself be pulled along by this obviously crude man with criminalistic tendencies.

“Let go of me,” The lavender eyed man looked down at the man on the ground, his voice domineering. 

The man on the ground unceremoniously let go of his wrist, immediately turning from him and picking up his fallen crops. He scoffed at the man’s attitude, or lack of, and grabbed his own wrist, bringing it closer to his face. He looked at it. It was covered by the thin shirt he wore, so he carefully pulled the cuff back. Despite the fact that the man had been holding onto it for so long while also running, it was only slightly red. It didn’t even hurt. He looked at the cloth covered figure. The man had gathered the crops into his arms and was starting to stand. The man’s grip was surprisingly gentle. The man wordlessly made his way to the river, stepping into it. Not even a foot in, he had sunk down to his waist. The man looked back at him, he had not left the bank.

“Come on!”

The man looked away from him and began wading through the water once again. He wasn’t sure why he followed him, but he did. He stepped into the water, inhaling sharply as he felt how cold it was. He pressed forward, not wanting to seem weak in the face of this stranger. The sharpness of the cold river water was nothing he couldn’t deal with. 

The trip across was slow. The water pushed against his side and he was chest deep in it. This part of the river was wider than the part he jumped over earlier. He looked towards the man, walking a few feet ahead of him. Had he really been planning to jump across? He didn’t look like he struggled much against the water, was fairly tall and as far as he could tell under the layers of black clothing, he was well built. Part of him wouldn’t be surprised if the man could jump across this part of the river.

The disguised man reached the other side of the river, which wasn’t quite as deep. He set the crops on the bank and easily pushed himself up and out of the water. He knelt on the bank of the river and turned to face the other side. The deep and dark eyes of the man bore straight into his own, light ones. He was almost at the edge of the river luckily, it was getting harder to move through it by the second. The pressure of the flowing river and the mud gripping on his boots did not help the situation. The man reached out one of his arms. He looked at it and reached out to grab it. The figure’s forearm was sturdy. It felt as if he was gripping onto a protruding tree root. The man slowly pulled him closer. He gripped onto his arm with both hands, letting the man help him get across. 

When he managed to reach the other side, the other arm was extended to him. Although he could get out himself, the mud at his feet was presenting quite a problem. It was hard to lift his feet out, so he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to pull himself out as smoothly as the other. He let go of the man’s arm and tried pulling himself out. He made two attempts before successfully leaving the water. It was a little awkward, but he managed to do it nonetheless. He stood up and looked at his feet. He couldn’t even see his boots under all of the mud. His attention turned to the cloaked figure beside him, who grunted as he stood up, the crops now back in his arms. 

He turned away from the weird man and started walking in the direction his horse was in, well, the direction he thought his horse was in. It only took him a few minutes of walking before his horse was in sight. He walked up to it and patted it’s snout, smiling slightly at the familiar face. He was soggy and muddy from the waist down, so any form of comfort, even if it was a horse, was welcomed. He jumped internally, but not physically as he heard the sudden sound from behind him.

“We’re lucky we lost the farmer early on. Made things a lot easier.” There was a pause. “So, what brings your highness all the way out here?”

He looked at the source of the voice. The cloaked figure from earlier was sitting on a rock nearby, his stolen goods on the ground next to him, taking off his boots and attempting to dump the water out of them. It obviously wasn’t doing much to lessen the calamity of wet socks they both currently faced, so he didn’t know why the man even tried.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m asking why a noble came to the outer villages.”

The man moved onto his other boot, trying to dump the water out and scrape some of the mud off the outside. His brows furrowed as he watched the man. He didn’t like where this was going.

“And I said, I don’t know what you mean.”

The man stopped wringing out his clothes and looked at him. Even if the figure’s eyes were the only visible part of him, he could tell he was exasperated. 

“You really thought you were hiding your prestige?”

“I am not a part of any noble family,” his voice was harsh and his brows furrowed more.

The man scoffed and crossed his arms. It was obvious he didn’t believe him. 

“No one other than nobles owns horses.”

The man nodded at his horse and he followed his gaze. Did no one else really own horses? He turned to face the man once again.

“What makes you think I didn’t steal it?”

“Nobles specially train their horses so it isn’t easy to befriend them like you have, and besides, you aren’t the stealing type,” the two maintained eye contact as the disguised man spoke.

“What does that mean?”

It was true, he wasn’t the stealing type, but that didn’t mean he didn’t find the man’s comment offensive.

“You didn’t steal any of the crops back there and they were free for the taking.”

“That doesn’t mean I’m not the stealing type. I’m just not hungry.”

A weird noise came from his stomach. ‘How convenient,’ he thought. The man looked at him. His covered face made his expressions hard to read. The man reached down and picked up one of the crops and threw it to him, he caught it.

“And that just further proves my point. Everyone who isn’t a noble is always hungry.”

He looked at the cucumber he now held in his hand. From the corner of his eye, he could see the man putting his shoes back on. He bit into the vegetable after trying to wipe some of the dirt off with his shirt. It was good. He wasn’t used to eating raw vegetables let alone whole ones. He was used to the cooked and cut vegetables the chefs prepared for meals. He took a few more bites. He felt the other man’s onyx eyes boring into him but ignored it. He would respond when ready. For now, he was eating the stolen crops because he was much hungrier than he realized. After eating half of it, he offered it the rest to his horse. The animal hungrily chomped on the vegetable. He continued to look at his horse as it ate the cucumber from his hand.

“What makes you think I haven’t eaten recently? I very well could have eaten some of the crops while we were over there.”

The man shrugged. He looked at him exasperated. Had this man just automatically assumed he was noble? Was he really not doing a good job of hiding it? He opened his mouth, but before anything could come out of it, the man stood.

“If you want to blend in, you’re going to have to do a whole lot better than that.”

The clothed man was staring at him still. For some reason, that gaze made him feel self conscious. He fought the urge to turn away from the black covered figure. He stared back, refusing to give the other any ground.

“What do you mean?”

“You stick out like a sore thumb.” There was a little laughter in his words, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Did he really? He glanced at his clothes for less than a second, never moving his head. Even if he looked away, he felt his head staying still conveyed that he was not inferior. He thought his clothes were pretty good. He had borrowed them from one of the knights back at the palace. It was a simple long sleeve shirt, pants and some boots. It was quite the downgrade from his usual attire. The man sighed and looked away from the eye contact they were making, raising his hand to rub at where the back of his neck looked to be under all those layers. How was that man still standing in all those clothes in this heat?

The disguised figure walked towards him, coming way too close and invading his personal bubble. He speedily took a step back, right into his horse’s side. He couldn’t step back any further. The man took yet another step into his personal space, about a body width away. He raised his hands. Self defense it was. The man suddenly bent over and just as suddenly straightened back up. In his cloth covered hands was a pile of smelly and extra goopy mud.

“What are you-”

His sentence was interrupted by the small gasp that escaped his mouth when the man slapped the mud right onto his shirt. He stood frozen as the man started rubbing the mud into the fabric. How rude was this man? Not only had he dragged him along as he stole crops, but he was now rubbing mud into his clothes without permission. He tensed as the man moved from his shirt to his pants and got scarily close to areas of his body he did not want being touched by strangers. The hands left his thigh and reached for more mud. He relaxed and regained his senses, which he seemed to lose a lot around this disguised figure.

“It’s fine.” The man looked up at him, just about to scoop more mud into his hands. “I can do it myself.”

He crouched down and grabbed some mud, instantly slathering it onto his clothes and rubbing it in. 

“Rub it in more. It’s to help dull the color, not to make you seem like you rolled around in a pigsty. Not even the poorest people have that much mud on them.”

He didn’t bother to look at the man as he followed his directions and rubbed it in more. He would call this man clever if not for the tact he obviously lacked. Besides, knowing how to dull clothes down with mud wasn’t necessarily something one would classify as clever. 

“Put some dirt on top of it. Maybe just roll around in the dirt.”

Now he looked at the man. He had been helpful in these past ten minutes he had known him but his helpfulness was not even close to outweighing how much of a pain in the ass he was. He shot the man an irritated look. He sure knew how to get on his nerves. The man only chuckled at his look, which infuriated him even more. He finished rubbing dirt into the clothes and stood up, turning back to his horse.

“You’ll need to get rid of the horse.”

“What?”

“The horse. You can’t take it into town. Everyone will know right away and all our hard work will be put to waste.”

He felt his eye twitch at the other’s comment. Oh man was he pissing him off. He bent over to pick up the reigns.

“What do you propose I do Mr. Genius?” He didn’t bother to hide his sarcasm.

“You could sell him,” He glared at the man who quickly added on to his previous statement. “Or you could get someone to hold him in their stable for you.”

“I like the second option better.”

The man stood up and walked back to his crops, once again scooping them up into his arms. He nodded his head in a direction. 

“Town is that way. I’m sure someone will be willing to take care of your horse.”

The cloaked man started walking in a slightly different direction than he had nodded in. Lightly pulling on his horse's reins, he followed behind him. The man glanced back at him every few minutes. He just blinked and continued to follow. The man stopped, a loud groan leaving his mouth. He also stopped, his horse standing beside him. The figure whipped around to face him.

“Why are you following me?” His voice was loud.

‘Was I not supposed to follow him?’ He had just assumed that the man was leading him to town and to a stable he could keep his horse in. He didn’t respond. This earned another groan from the man.

“Oh come on, Princess. You expect me to help you with everything?”

“Princess?” He quietly whispered.

“I’ve got my own life and my own things to do. I can’t watch over your ass constantly.”

The man seemed a little frantic that he was following him. He didn’t know why the man acted this way. It really seemed like there was something this man wasn’t telling him and it seemed like something very important.

“Princess?” He spoke a little louder now, taken aback by being called that.

The man ignored him and mumbled to himself for a moment before going silent. He looked deep in thought. He hoped the man didn’t think for too long, because he didn’t think his brain could handle it.

“Did you just call me Princess?”

The man did not look up. “Yeah, what of it?”

“I’m not a princess.” His brows furrowed and his voice was stern.

“Could have fooled me with that hair and all.”

He scoffed. Was this man really calling him a girl because of his hair? Before he could respond to that rude comment, the man spoke again. His words were preceded by a sigh.

“Fine! I’ll help you.”

“On second thought, I don’t think I want your help.” This man was getting more annoying by the second.

“Come on.”

The cloth covered man turned back around and continued walking towards town, ignoring his comment. This man was rude and annoying, but he was the only person who could help him right now. He, Neji Hyuuga, part of the royal family of the country of Konohagakure, had to rely on this man who was just as irritating as he was annoying. He reluctantly followed behind the man, directing his horse as they walked to town.


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We finally find out where Neji's horse will be hidden, but does Neji even have a place to stay?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was going to post this way earlier but then it completely slipped my mind to do so. Enjoy!

Neji and the man now stood at the edge of town behind some buildings. The horse was standing behind him as the still covered man peeked out into the street. His voice was low.

“Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

He nodded and watched the man stand up and casually walk to a house across the dirt road. He wasn’t sure why he was trusting this man. He found it hard to trust people he knew the identity of. It wasn’t anything to do with the man’s character either. He really pissed Neji off. He figured it was because the man was his only source of getting help right now. He had already helped him and appeared to know his way around disguises. All he could do was trust this man and hope everything worked out.

The man knocked on the door. It soon opened and revealed an older man. The two hugged in greeting and chatted. ‘He’s being awfully chatty when we need to be hiding this horse.’ One minute later, but what felt like 10, he gave the man another hug and jogged back to Neji, making sure no one was looking as he did so.

“Follow me quickly.”

He still had the cloth covering his face. How had that man recognized him? From his annoying aura or irritating voice? Most likely both. He nodded in response and let the man lead the way. He looked into the street again before waving to Neji, signaling the coast was clear, and jogged across. They went to the side of the house and around back, where a decently sized stable was located. The man from earlier was already waiting outside, unlocking the stable door. He opened it and the disguised man stepped aside. Neji walked inside with his horse, feeling relieved now that they were out of sight. The older man followed him inside. The stable was not very big, but it was clean enough and well kept. The stable owner directed him to a spot. He led his horse into that gated area and started taking off it’s bridle and saddle.

“Thank you for your help. Can I leave these here?”

The older man smiled. “It’s not a problem and yes, you can leave them on the hooks here.”

As he finished taking a piece of equipment off of his horse, he would hang it on the specified hooks. When he finished, he gave his horse a pat. It had served him well these past few days. He stepped outside of the stall and closed the gate behind him. He turned to thank the man again only to see him talking with the clothed figure. 

“Thank you for helping out. I owe you one.”

“Oh it's no problem. You know I’d do anything for you all.”

The older man smiled at him and Neji was sure the clothed man smiled back. He cleared his throat. The two turned to him.

“Surely I can do something for you in return,” he wanted to pay the man back for letting his horse stay here.

The man shook his head. “No need to do anything for me. We all need to look after each other out here.” He looked back at the clothed figure. “Just maybe bring me some squash next time you get some.”

“Deal.”

The clothed man looked at Neji and nodded his head towards the door.

“Let’s go, Princess.”

Neji grumbled at being called princess again, but followed him out of the stable. He wasn’t looking forward to his new nickname. They waved goodbye to the stable owner but not before Neji could give him one last bow to show his gratitude. The two walked side by side. Neji didn’t know where they were going or why he still followed this man. Now that he thought about it, he didn’t know anything about him. He didn’t know his name or his face, his age or where he lived. 

He slowed down. Should he really follow this man? He was a complete stranger. Now that his horse was safely hidden, he had no reason to follow this man anymore. His walking slowed and slowed and slowed until he reached a stop. It took the disguised man a moment to realize he was no longer walking with him. He also stopped, looking back at Neji.

“Problem?”

Neji bowed. “Thank you for your help. I’ll be on my way now.”

He turned away from the man and started walking in the opposite direction. He didn’t know where this direction would take him, but he needed to leave this strange man behind. 

“Wait.”

The man was suddenly behind him, once again gripping onto his wrist. He violently tugged his arm away, recoiling from the sudden touch.

“Don’t touch me,” his words came out a hiss.

The man let go, whispering out a small sorry. Neji didn’t start walking again. He decided, for some reason, to listen to what the man had to say, to why he had told him to wait.

“Do you even have somewhere to stay?”

He did not, but he didn’t want to let the man know that. He didn’t want to accept this mysterious stranger’s help anymore. He didn’t know this man and he didn’t know what he would demand in payment for all of this help he was giving out. It’s not like help was given out freely here or anywhere in the kingdom. Everything came with a price. He, once again, did not respond. 

“Sleeping on the side of the road doesn’t count. Not even the homeless do that.”

He looked at the man from the corner of his eye. He supposed it wasn’t likely for this town to have an inn. He really didn’t want to sleep on the side of the road either. Maybe the stable owner from earlier would let him sleep in the stable with his horse.

“Come with me. We can spare a blanket or two.”

He didn’t respond right away. This man was being way too nice to him. Should he risk spending the night with this mysterious man? He crossed his arms, his mouth finally moving.

“I don’t know anything about you.”

“And I about you.”

The man’s response was quick and Neji scoffed in response. The man obviously hadn’t had to think about that response, which was, by the way, wrong.

“That’s incorrect.”

He didn’t want to give this man the time of day. He knew he should decline the offer and leave. Getting entangled with this man would only lead him into more trouble. They had met as the man stole crops from someone and he obviously knew that Neji was of noble birth. The man already knew too much and as it was, didn’t seem like the most righteous person. He had obviously been helping Neji so he could demand something be done in return and while Neji did not mind paying the man back, he didn’t want to grow further in debt with him. He hated owing people, especially those he didn’t know and couldn’t trust. Despite all this, he stayed rooted in his spot. He couldn’t will his body to turn and walk away and he wasn’t sure if he even wanted to at this point. His body’s opposition to his thoughts and decisions was annoying. Why was he staying with this man? He had no idea. He blamed it on his lack of comfort in this place because ‘When you are out of your comfort zone, you tend to latch onto someone who can help you.’ He told himself that to make the situation more comfortable.

“Well, I do know a bit about you, but I still don’t know much about you. I am offering to let a complete stranger stay in my house.”

“I don’t know anything about you other than you steal from the local farmers. That certainly isn’t information that would make me trust you.”

The man shushed him when he brought up the stealing as if anyone in the vicinity couldn’t see the man’s arms full of a variety of crops. He sighed in exasperation and reluctantly continued speaking.

“I don't know your name, let alone what you look like.”

As he continued speaking, he tried even harder to will his body to move. It didn’t work. The man seemed to straighten up at his comment. He just stared at Neji for way too long, making the Hyuuga uncomfortable. He fidgeted in his spot but held eye contact with the man. What he said was a legitimate concern and he knew that, but the way the dark irises stared back at him, seemingly devoid of emotion, unsettled him. What was it about this man that made him speak so openly and yet want to curl up and scurry away as fast as possible. It was as if his instincts and brain could not accurately judge the man, which bothered him more than anything else.

“That’s true,” the man reached up to touch his covered face with a clothed hand, looking as if he was resting his chin in between his thumb and the rest of his hand, thinking, “but I can’t necessarily reveal that to you out in the open with all this contraband in sight.”

Neji deadpanned. The man knew his crimes were clearly in sight and yet had attempted to quiet him when he spoke about it earlier? Not to mention the man seemed to be more concerned about people finding out who stole the crops than the fact that he was in plain sight in the middle of the road? Someone could easily come up and arrest him this way. And yet, no one did. Neji knew next to nothing about the outer towns, so maybe there was a reason the man was acting like he was; however, Neji firmly believed the man was acting this way because of one thing. Stupidity. This man was utterly and completely stupid.

The man reached out to grab onto Neji again, but before he could say anything, the man’s hand lurched back. Instead, he casually waved Neji along, signaling for him to follow. After the brief wave, he turned his back to Neji and continued walking along the road. Neji just blinked at him. Had the stupid man remembered what he said earlier? Maybe he hadn’t given the man enough credit, maybe he wasn’t completely stupid.

Just as he thought that, the man tripped over a very obvious and big rock in the road, falling flat on his face and causing his contraband crops to fly all over the place. Scratch that, he was incredibly stupid.


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neji finally gets to see the handsome face of his knight in shining armor! Except how handsome can it be under all that dirt and with his snarky attitude?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!

The man had led him along the road for some time before cutting in between some buildings and houses and leading him through a more secluded and turn centric path. Just when he thought they were going to continue walking straight, the man would abruptly turn and lead him another way. Whether his motive was to mislead any pursuers, and Neji, or because the streets and paths in this village were convoluted and complicated, Neji wasn’t sure. He had been following him for a decent amount of time when the disguised man halted and looked around them.

There was no one in sight. They were standing between two houses, which looked more like broken down shacks to Neji, and the noble thought that even the people who lived inside these hovels were not present with how quiet it was. The man turned to face Neji and reached up towards his own face. Would he finally know what the man who had been annoying him endlessly in every possible way looked like?

Sure enough, the man pulled down the cloth that was covering everything below his eyes. The hood and wrap around his forehead stayed on, but Neji figured seeing that much, even if not his whole face, would be enough to comfort him. The cloth was removed and now hung limply around the man’s neck. Neji was unimpressed to say the least. The man’s face looked fairly normal to him, but under all of the dirt and grime, it was hard to make out any distinct features, not to mention the man turned back around after a few seconds of being exposed.

Neji didn’t say anything, but his brow scrunched. He had gotten a bit more than a glimpse and would have ultimately preferred to observe the man’s disgusting dirt covered face a bit longer. Seeing the man’s face, if only for a few moments, had, just as he predicted, comforted him slightly. It hadn’t been enough to make him continue following the man and accept his invitation, but he still found himself inadvertently following him as they continued winding through the buildings and across roads.

He couldn’t see the man’s face, only getting a good look at the back of his dusty hood, but he could see that the cloth had not been moved back over it. No more than 2 minutes later, they arrived at what seemed to be their destination. Neji tried not to grimace. It was just as bad as some of the other houses they saw on the way here, if not worse. The man raised a fist, but did not knock on the door, stopped by Neji’s words.

“You still haven’t even told me your name.”

He turned back slightly, glancing at Neji from the corner of his eyes. His hand lowered and Neji was pretty sure he saw his mouth open; however, it seemed today was the day for actions to be stopped midway, because before the man could answer, the front door swung open and slammed right into the man’s head.

“Kankuro!” There was a woman at the door, looking out angrily.

“Shit!” The man held the side of his head and looked at the woman who stood there.

Hearing the curse, the woman’s sharp eyes looked at the disguised man. Her eyes narrowed as she glared at him.

“You’re late!”

She hadn’t seemed to notice Neji yet and he was very content with that. He did not want the woman’s fierce eyes directed his way. The tone of her voice and the look in her eyes were enough to make any grown man run away after soiling his pants and yet the man of her focus seemed completely unaffected by her glare. Bravery? No, it must be his stupidity again.

“Were you waiting next to the door listening for footsteps or something?” He rubbed his head, somehow having miraculously not dropped the crops throughout this chaos.

The woman’s glare narrowed and Neji dared not move. He was under the illusion that if he didn’t move, he wouldn’t be seen. 

“Don’t sass me Kankuro, you’re late.”

She stressed the last word as she continued to glare at the man, who Neji now knew as Kankuro. This was certainly an eventful response to his statement moments before.

“Chill out, something came up. Have a little faith in me, yeah?”

“What came up?”

As she asked that, she finally noticed Neji. Her glare was not as prominent before, but still pant soiling worthy, as she turned to look at the Hyuuga. He stood his ground and attempted to look as unbothered by her expression as possible. He would argue that it was successful even though he may have felt like running inside. Part of him wanted to move over slightly so he was behind Kankuro, but his pride wouldn’t let him do that. He had no clue why he was this afraid of the woman before him. Maybe it was because the females he knew were nothing like her. Her attitude was uncharted territory and that was almost as unsettling as Kankuro’s entire existence.

“Who are you?”

He cleared his throat and glanced at Kankuro for assistance. The man simply rubbed his head, not bothering to look at Neji. Looks like he would receive no help from the now injured man. He opened his mouth, not entirely sure what he was going to say.

“Just let us in Tema, he’s fine.”

‘Tema’ looked back at Kankuro and frowned for a brief moment. She obviously wasn’t happy at Neji’s presence but stepped away from the door moments later. Kankuro stepped in first and Neji followed closely behind. The woman shut the door behind them, a little harshly, and followed behind the two men. Kankuro led them to the dining room, which wasn’t more than a few steps from the door and consisted of one beaten up table and three just as beaten up chairs. The kitchen, a simple wood burning stove, was directly behind the table and looked as though it had seen better days. To the right of the dining room and kitchen was a bit of empty floor space and one door. Neji’s room back home was at least three times bigger than the dimensions of this entire house.

Sitting at the table was a man with short red hair. His face was completely devoid of emotion as he stared at the three figures walking towards him. The man had no eyebrows, but Neji wasn’t one to judge too harshly. Maybe it was the result of some freak accident or something. Kankuro dumped the crops on the table, not bothering to look at the man sitting at it. Neji figured this was out of disregard for the feelings and presence of other people. Kankuro was, after all, stupid. As he placed the crops down, he spoke up, presumably to Neji, the only one unfamiliar with this tiny space called a home.

“It’s not much, but it is a roof over your head.”

Neji gave a small nod. The inside of the place looked just as dusty as the roads outside and he was pretty sure he could see the sky through multiple holes in the ceiling. At least it was half of a roof over his head. The red headed, eyebrowless man spoke.

“Kankuro.”

The man instantly froze in his spot, tensing up despite only his name being said. The man’s voice relayed as much emotion as there was on his face, none. His unemotional voice did not quite seem cold but it didn’t seem comforting either. Despite this, Kankuro’s obviously frightened reaction seemed unnecessary to Neji. He acted this way around the calm sounding man and yet was completely unaffected by the scary glares and yelling from the Tema woman earlier? He swore he heard Kankuro gulp as complete silence descended on the house. Even the woman who had been raging moments earlier was completely silent.

“Yes?” Kankuro’s voice was on the verge of being shaky and submissive.

“You’re late.”

Tema had said those exact words earlier, but this time the phrase seemed to affect Kankuro more. His head sank down and looked at the floor, avoiding eye contact with the sitting man. His body was completely still and extremely stiff. Not even a natural disaster could pull Kankuro out of that position.

“I’m sorry, but-” he didn’t continue his sentence, seeming fearful of finishing.

It almost reminded Neji of when he was a child and would be scolded for doing something. When he would try to explain the situation and only be yelled at more for coming up with an excuse for his naughty actions. Kankuro’s build was obviously more muscular than the man sitting down, and he seemed decently taller, but in this atmosphere, Kankuro looked like nothing more than a terrified toddler being scolded by an overly strict parent. The redhead stared at him, his expression never changing from its neutral, unmoved state. His voice remained the same as well, monotonous and almost cold.

“But what?”

Kankuro looked ready to drop onto his knees and beg for his life to be spared. He still did not look at any part of the man, as if even looking at one of his toes would increase his suffering.

“He needed help.”

The man devoid of any hair above his eyes looked at Neji. He did not glare like the woman and he did not stare like Kankuro had multiple times. He seemed uninterested in the lavender eyed man and looked away as suddenly as he had looked at him. The lack of regard the man showed for Neji caused a twisting feeling in his stomach. It bothered him. Everyone in this house bothered him in different ways and he honestly wasn’t sure who bothered him the most at this point. 

“You just jumped in and helped him immediately. You know that could, and most likely will, cause us lots of trouble, Kankuro.”

It was most definitely a scold, but the words still lacked emotion. The more Neji listened to this man speak, the more fear the two other people in this house felt he could personally feel. The absence of emotion was ominous and Neji did not wish to know why Kankuro and Tema were so scared they were both practically shaking. He had to admit that the redhead made a valid point. He was used to Lee’s jump into action attitude, but at least his closest friend acted out of compassion and naivety rather than blatant stupidity like Kankuro.

“I know, Gaara, but I promise it will be fine.”

The redhead, eyebrowless man, Gaara, raised an eyebrow, or an eyebrow bone considering he had no hair on his brow bones.

“What makes you so confident you can keep that promise?”

Kankuro was silent in response. That silence probably meant there was no way to make sure this didn’t cause problems. Neji was unsure what problems his presence would even cause, but he wanted to assure Gaara that he wasn’t trying to cause any trouble. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by Kankuro once more.

“I can’t promise that, Gaara, but I also know I couldn’t not help him.”

Kankuro still did not look at Gaara, but his posture relaxed a bit. Gaara remained silent in response, staring at the man in front of him. It was the Tema girl who broke the silence. 

“It’s your turn to get the wood and prepare the water Kankuro.”

He nodded and walked right past Neji and to the front door, grabbing a wooden bucket and a rusty axe on his way out. Gaara looked back at the girl who had made her way to the table once Kankuro was gone.

“Do you need any help Temari?”

Neji processed the information. Gaara had called her Temari and Kankuro had called her Tema. He assumed Tema was just a nickname and Temari was her actual name. Her having a nickname must mean they were close, if that was not already apparent from the fact that they appeared to all be living together in these very confined quarters. He stood there, unsure what he should do.

“No, I’m fine.”

Gaara nodded and put a large piece of cloth that he’d been resting in his lap on the table. He picked up a needle and continued sewing the piece together. The room was once again silent. It was so quiet, Neji was pretty sure he could hear Kankuro chopping wood outside the house. He stood still, having not moved since he followed Kankuro inside. 

“Is there anything I can do?”

He felt restless just standing there while everyone else was working. Gaara briefly glanced up from his project and Temari halted cutting one of the vegetables Kankuro had laid on the table earlier. She looked him down and up.

“No, why don’t you just sit down and relax. You’re our guest here.”

He nodded and pulled out one of the chairs. It screeched as it was pulled across the beaten up wood flooring. He sat down in it and moved into a comfortable position at the table. When he looked up, Temari was already focused on chopping the carrot again. Gaara was focusing on his sewing project. He decided to try and relax like Temari had said. He had a long trip to get here, and hadn’t gotten much rest during it. He closed his eyes, his arms crossed as he tried to get comfortable in the rickety wooden chair. 

A few minutes passed and he was no more relaxed than he had been when he sat down. Not only was the chair uncomfortable, but he was around two people he had just met. It was hard for him to rest around people he didn’t know and that held true despite how tired he felt. The rhythmic chopping should have helped but it had only made him more aware of his surroundings. He opened his eyes, seeing no point in keeping them closed any longer. Gaara was still sewing and upon closer inspection Neji realized it was a shirt. The chopping sound stopped and he saw Temari turn to grab a nearby pot that looked as beaten up as the rest of the place and dip it into a burlap sack. She then grabbed the wooden handle of something nearby and pulled it out of the bucket it rested in. Neji saw that it was a ladle. She dumped the water that was in it into the pot and repeated the process. She rested the ladle back in the bucket and walked to the table. She used the knife to scrape the carrot pieces into the pot. The knife was set back down as she finished and she then brought the pot over to the stove. 

“Hey Gaara, can you go get some of the wood from Kankuro?”

The man nodded and was about to stand up, but Neji stopped him. He saw his opportunity to do something other than sit around being useless and he was going to take it. Even at the palace he felt more useful than he did now.

“I can get some.”

They both shifted their attention to Neji, not having expected him to speak up. Garra shrugged and continued sewing. He seemed to be a man of very few words when he was not scolding someone. Temari nodded at him and turned back to the stove. They both seemed not to care who brought the wood in, just that it was done. He stood up, the chair screeching again as his movement pushed it back, and walked to the door. He opened it and walked outside, closing it behind him. Kankuro was nowhere in sight, but there was a pile of nicely chopped wood sitting next to the door. The axe was resting right next to it.

He picked some of the wood up and returned to the door, catching a glimpse of a black covered figure nearby. He paused to look at it and sure enough, there was Kankuro, carrying the bucket from earlier. He was focused on his task and thus did not see Neji. Neji didn’t bother saying anything and returned inside, walking to the stove with the wood in hand. Temari started grabbing the wood and putting it in the stove without comment. After she grabbed every piece, she worked on starting the fire.

“Bring the rest in and set it here.” She gestured to a spot next to the stove.

He nodded and returned outside, grabbing the rest of the wood, for there wasn’t much in the first place, and returned to the place by the stove, delicately stacking them there. After he finished his job, he sat back at the table, this time making sure to pick up the chair so it didn’t scrape the floor. Temari started the fire and closed the stove up. There was a lid on the pot now, one that didn’t match the pot itself. While the food in the pot cooked, she walked over to a small chest the water bucket from earlier was resting on. She set the bucket on the ground and opened the chest. She placed some silverware and dishes on the table, none of which matched and rested the large ladle inside the chest.

“Can you give this bucket to Kankuro?”

She held the water bucket out to Neji. He was glad he could be of help now. He nodded and was about to grab it when Gaara grasped onto the handle. He had set down the shirt he was sewing and stood up, bucket in hand.

“I can do it.”

He then left the house. He had obviously finished sewing as Temari was about to ask Neji to do it. Maybe he was concerned with not making their guest do work? Neji now consigned himself to being bored and useless at the round table. He sat there quietly and Temari busied herself, setting the table and occasionally stirring the pot’s contents. Gaara eventually returned, grabbing the shirt and placing it in a large wooden chest in the largely empty part of the room. It was empty except for the chest, a few stacks of what seemed to be bedding and the door that was currently closed.

It took a while, but the food was finally done and everyone had returned to the table. Kankuro had brought both of the buckets from earlier inside, both now full of water. The chest had been closed back up and was set at the table to provide an extra seat. Kankuro sat on the chest next to Neji and across from Gaara. Despite his interaction with the redhead earlier, Kankuro gave him a toothy grin.

“We’re almost the same height when I sit on this.”

Gaara looked at him, a slightly annoyed expression on his face. That was the first emotion Neji had seen him express and he honestly wasn’t surprised by it. Kankuro simply laughed, the tension from earlier obviously not bugging him anymore. Temari served each of them a small bowl of dinner, rice and carrots. It was far from the least luxurious meal Neji had back home, but he wasn’t going to complain. The fact that they were sharing their shelter and food with him was a kind gesture. He thanked them for the food and started eating. He was glad to find that aside from being bland, it wasn’t too bad. He ate without saying a word, used to dinners in complete silence, no matter the amount of family members attending the meal.

Although he did not speak, that did not mean everyone else was silent. Kankuro talked throughout the meal. When he wasn’t shovelling the food in his mouth, he was talking unbelievably fast about something. The story of how he and Kankuro met even came up and Neji was pretty sure he exaggerated a few things, but wasn’t in the mood to call the man out on it.

“You went through the water and yet you still smell and look like you rolled around in a pigsty?” Temari mocked the man sitting next to her. “You’re definitely bathing last.”

Kankuro paused eating to let out a small whine. “Aw come on! That’s exactly why I still smell and look like I rolled around in a pigsty, because you guys always make me bathe last.”

“Maybe if you had better hygiene we wouldn’t make you bathe last.” Gaara spoke quietly in between bites.

Kankuro whined again and Neji almost wanted to chuckle. He enjoyed them making fun of their housemate. It reassured him that the other two found Kankuro as unsettling and annoying as he did. Kankuro wasn’t a bad guy, but he wasn’t someone Neji would choose to spend time with outside of the necessary time. After they finished eating, Gaara collected the dishes and finally looked at Neji for more than a second.

“You can take a bath first,” he paused. “Kankuro never told us your name did he?”

Gaara and Temari both looked at Kankuro, who had finished eating way before everyone else. The man chuckled.

“This is Princess.”

Neji groaned and the other two looked at Kankuro in dismay. This nickname really was going to stick, wasn’t it? He sighed, done with Kankuro’s antics and answered Gaara’s question.

“My name is Neji, not Princess.”

After the fact, he realized saying his real name may not have been the best move, but no one commented and they all nodded. Kankuro spoke up again.

“Temari why don’t you get him some of your clothes to wear.”

“Me?”

“Yeah, you guys are about the same size. With a dress and that hair he can easily pass as a girl. He’s already the pretty boy type anyways.”

No one responded immediately, trying to process the nonsense that was going on in Kankuro’s head. Sure, Neji had cross-dressed on many occasions before, but that did not mean he wanted to currently. His cousins found it thrilling to put him in dresses and do his makeup in their free time and he honestly didn’t mind. They did a great job and he always looked stunning. He did not think whatever dresses Temari owned would make him look stunning.

“I’d rather not borrow her dresses.”

Kankuro didn’t pay any mind to Neji and continued talking to Temari, “Or what about that old outfit of yours you were going to make into rags?”

That sounded just as pleasing as the dress offer had. Temari thought for a moment before walking over to the chest he had seen Gaara place the shirt in earlier. She dug around a bit before producing a folded bundle of clothes. She held it out to Neji. He reluctantly accepted the folded mass of thin and somewhat tattered looking clothes.

“There’s an old towel in there too that you can use. Bathroom is through that door.”

He nodded slowly and followed her pointing finger to look at the closed door. He stepped inside of the bathroom and closed the door behind him. It was a very small room, just enough to fit a spot that could be identified as a toilet, a bucket of water and soap that seemed to be a sort of sink and a wooden tub in one of the corners. It wasn’t very large, but it wasn’t like he wouldn’t be able to fit in it. The room had started filling with steam. He took off his mud and sweat filled clothes and set them on the ground next to the tub. He didn’t realize they had still been slightly damp until he shed them. He untied his hair and stepped into the bath, relaxing for the first time in a while.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter we'll finally start getting to the main plot of story instead of just the set up so look forward to that!

**Author's Note:**

> This was just the prologue! I hope you liked this little taste. Look out for more chapters soon!


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